Tuesday, February 06, 2024Finger-pointing Continues Over APD DWI Bribery Scandal: DA Slaps Down Police Chief; Says He's Not Responsible For Tracking Cops At Hearings As Medina Appears Before Skeptical City Council, Plus: More From Pirtle Place
In a letter to APD Chief Harold Medina, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman blasted the chief for asserting that it is the DA's office that is required to notify APD when cops don't show up for DWI hearings. No show cops are at the crux of the alleged bribery scandal with at least five officers suspected of conspiring with a local attorney and taking bribes in exchange for not showing up at DWI court hearings and getting his clients off the hook. Now the once congenial relationship between the DA and Medina is in tatters as the political pressure cooker grips both--as seen in this scorching of Medina from the DA's office: In a letter dated February 1, 2024, to the City Council, the Chief of Police stated “the District Attorney’s Office currently has the responsibility to notify APD of missed appearances.” This is simply not true and has never been true.
The Federal DWI investigation is about alleged misconduct by DWI police officers. Instead of focusing on that issue, the Chief is blaming the District Attorney’s Office, the Law Office of the Public Defender, and the Metropolitan Court for the dysfunction and mismanagement of his DWI unit. He should refocus on putting things in place to prevent this type of disaster from happening again. Although the District Attorney’s office has never been under any obligation to ensure officers show up for scheduled court appearances, we have put in place an additional robust notification system so APD will be aware when their officers miss court. The bottom line is holding accountable those people who are drinking and driving and the safety of our community. Bregman must shed any links to the scandal by his office to avoid political damage in the June primary where he is seeking the Democratic nomination for DA against two serious opponents. He already took a hit when it was disclosed that the lawyer at the center of the alleged scheme gave him a $1,000 campaign donation that he has since returned. His direct attack on Medina raised questions in the political community as to whether it would hurt or help him with voters who are now developing a distrust for all of those involved in the investigation. Medina showed up at last night's City Council meeting and took questions from councilors. It was a public session after the administration dropped their request that the meeting be held behind closed doors. Councilor Louie Sanchez, a former APD officer and FBI staffer, told the chief that it is his "responsibility to deal with missed court (dates)--not anyone else's." Sanchez's motion for a vote of no confidence in Medina failed to get a second and was not addressed. Medina said if APD is expected to track missing dates it will take 20 additional staff in his budget. His spokesman told the newspaper: Medina, as a deputy chief, spoke with then-Chief Deputy DA Chuck Barth about high case dismissal rates, and Barth wanted the DA's office to take responsibility for tracking no-shows in court. So the DA's office took the responsibility for notification. But after Barth died in 2021, the system appeared to break down and APD wasn't notified consistently. That has recently changed. Medina told Council that while the DA's office says it is not responsible for police missing DWI hearings, that hasn't stopped the DA from notifying APD of 33 such cases since the scandal broke It's all about openness and transparency now for this police chief, the DA and the Mayor and his staff. As the saying goes, "the cover-up is often worse than the crime." Finger-pointing and the blame game are one thing. Covering up is where the trouble begins and where careers end. STATUS QUO CONTINUES? Should we be hopeful that his APD scandal is the one that ultimately ends the decades long list of scandals at the agency. Reader Don Miller is not optimistic: I personally believe that APD is an autonomous para-military organization which is run by the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association. They appear to defy the authority of the 11th floor, the Civilian Police Oversight Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, the recent “Defund the Police” movement, and anyone else who challenges their authority and autonomy, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as internal checks and balances are maintained. My assessment is that APD will fire a number of police officers, depleting an already understaffed police force, and possibly fire Police Chief Medina and replace him with another “insider” as they have continually done in the past, maintaining the status quo. MORE PIRTLE PLACE
That's Pirtle, whose wife is seeking a divorce, introducing to the chamber to his father, his mistress and newborn child who are all seated at his side. (We did not include two of Pirtle's three children by his current wife who were also in the pic.) Pirtle, 38, shocked the state when he was publicly outed last year for cheating on his wife with now 20 year old McKenzie Luna, a staffer in a fellow senator's office. The second shocker came when it was disclosed that Luna gave birth to Pirtle's child. After the mess Pirtle announced he would not seek re-election to his seat and GOP state Rep. Candy Ezzell announced she would run. That was a good call but now Pirtle has backed off and is contemplating running again and that's why the Alligators are hot on his trail. Pirtle's behavior not only raised questions about his personal ethics but the ethical issue of his relationship with the senate staffer and whether it constituted an abuse of power by Pirtle since the young woman was technically in his employ. Of course, the Senate brushed it off, probably because Pirtle is a Republican who is part of the cannabis worshipping club so central to the identity politics in certain Democratic quarters. But not so for Sen. Ivey-Soto who is being excoriated by fellow Dems over an allegation of sexual harassment by a lobbyist seven years ago. That's probably because Ivey-Soto is not part of the club. He derailed a voting rights bill that the lobbyist accusing him of harassment was leading the charge for. Pirtle's problem is also hypocrisy. As we reported in March of 2023: Pirtle's scandal is not only an embarrassment for him and his immediate family but also for one of the top family-owned businesses in Roswell--Pirtle Farms located since 1926 in the SE NM city. The operation includes cows, goat and sheep whose meat and dairy products they market to the public. Cliff Pirtle was born into the family and has been an owner/manager of the farm since 1999. . .The Pirtle family does not shy away from their faith, saying on their website: We believe in honoring God by tending his garden and livestock that he has entrusted to us; through producing quality crops and nutritious milk that feed the world. In his 2012 ABQ Journal questionnaire candidate Pirtle said his "major personal accomplishment" was: Staying true to myself, being the best husband and father I can be, and finding the right balance between work and family. Doesn't hypocrisy really stink up the room or in this case the state Senate? This is the Home of New Mexico Politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2024 |
|
